Community Visit · Amhara
Awra Amba
Founded in 1980 by Zumra Nuru and some twenty others, this cooperative of around 450 people, 73 kilometres east of Bahir Dar, has become one of Ethiopia's most studied social experiments — women plough, men weave, and the community governs itself through its own committees.
Why We Go
A weaving village founded on one idea: that men and women should share every kind of work.
Awra Amba — "top of the hill" in Amharic — was built on principles that set it apart from its neighbours: no division of labour by sex, no institutional religion, a minimum marriage age of eighteen for women and twenty-two for men, and formal committees to look after children, the sick and the elderly.
Those choices came at a cost. Denied farmland by surrounding communities, the village turned to weaving and grain milling, and the looms that now fill its workshop are the reason it is self-sufficient today. Its library, preschool and adult literacy work have made it the subject of international research, including World Bank case studies.
Visitors pay the same entry fee whatever their nationality, and a local guide can walk you through the village. It sits just off the road east from Bahir Dar toward Lalibela, which makes it an easy and rewarding morning on a northern circuit — and a natural fit for anyone interested in who does the work, and who shares in it.
Highlights
- 01The weaving workshop, where men and women work the same looms and sell scarves, blankets and cloth by the metre
- 02The community's own school, library and care for its elderly members, each run by an elected committee
- 03An open conversation with residents about how the village makes decisions and settles disputes
- 04A night in the community guesthouse, for those who want to stay after the day visitors leave
Best combined with a stay of Half a day – 1 day, travelling Year-round.
Journeys Including Awra Amba
Routes that pass through here
Plan This Destination
Build Awra Amba into your journey
Nothing here is fixed. Tell us how long you have and what else you want to see, and a designer will draw the route — including the flights, the guides and the hours that matter.
Speak With a Designer
Speak to someone who has been there this season
Our designers travel these routes themselves. Ask about road conditions, festival dates or which lodge has the better view — you will get a straight answer.
Or call us directly on +1909-450-7246